Until Tomorrow
by MyImmortal329
Summary: A storm blows in on the night before Michaela and Sully's wedding. Michaela goes to check on her groom-to-be and passion erupts.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E. **

Until Tomorrow

The children were staying until late in the evening at the clinic in town with Rebecca, Marjorie, and Elizabeth, helping with last minute plans for the wedding. Michaela had been fine with that at first, but now that a storm was blowing in, she was feeling a little uncomfortable about being alone at the homestead, and she was also worried about the children. But, she trusted her older sisters and her mother with the children, and she knew that all three of them could take care of themselves.

**Michaela couldn't believe that in about twenty four hours, she would be on a train to Denver with the man she loved. God, it had been a horrible experience having Sully missing for those couple of days. Michaela was relieved that he was safe now and away from Custer, but she was worried about him again. **

A storm was rolling in, and she knew that the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride before their wedding, but it wasn't the wedding day yet. She needed to check on him out at the lean to so she could know that he was safe.

She looked outside to see that storm clouds were rolling in. She knew better than to go out in this impending weather, but she needed to make sure he was safe. She didn't want anything to happen to him, especially since they were to become man and wife in less than a day. She knew all too well that he could take care of himself, but the closer their wedding day grew, the more she worried and wondered how he was doing; what he was thinking.

She left the homestead, intending to come right back once she knew he was safe, but something inside of her told her she would rather spend the night lying in his arms and sneak away in the morning before he had the chance to wake and see her. It was going to be hard to leave him, especially since she knew that they would be consummating their marriage by this time tomorrow. She felt ready, and a bit nervous, but Sully had promised her they would take it ever so easy. Her heart was pumping a mile a minute just knowing that she would be a married woman in less than a day.

She felt the first drops of rain hit the top of her head, but she continued on through the woods, hoping to find Sully's clearing and lean to sooner than usual. She wanted him to hold her in his arms and ease her worries and anxieties.

Meanwhile, Sully was sitting under the lean to, hearing the thunder rumbling close by. He was staring into the small but bright flames in the fire he had made earlier. He couldn't think about anything but Michaela. It was hard to believe that after all of these years, tomorrow night, he was going to be able to make her completely his, and he would be completely hers.

He wondered what it would feel like to have her laying so close to him with her body pressed against his. The only time he'd slept so close to her before had been when they were fighting to stay out of the rain during an excursion into the woods to stop a miner from dumping mercury into Willow Creek. That seemed like a million years ago, however, but Sully could still remember the sweet scent of her hair.

"Sully?" Michaela called out as the wind began to howl. She spotted the clearing and a small and dwindling fire up ahead. She made her way into Sully's view, and he looked very surprised to see her as he sat under the lean to, poking at the dying fire with a stick.

"Michaela? What are ya doin' out here?"

"I came to check on you," she admitted as he extended his hand to her. The rain was starting to sprinkle now, and she gladly joined him under the lean to. As she sat down, he immediately caught a whiff of the fancy soap she always used. God, he couldn't wait to wake up to that scent every morning.

"Ya know I can take care of myself," he replied, pulling an arm around her as the wind began to pick up. Michaela looked up at him sheepishly.

"I know, but things are different now. Tomorrow, we'll be married, and it seems too good to be true. I had to come see you since we can't see one another tomorrow until we meet at the altar." Sully gave her a smile, and he leaned over to press a kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he felt her begin to shiver.

"Here," he whispered, pulling a blanket over the both of them. "I don't want ya goin' out in that weather. You can wait with me 'til the storm passes."

"You don't mind?" Michaela wondered, staring into his gorgeous, thoughtful eyes.

"'Course I don't mind. I don't want my bride-to-be traipsin' out in the mud and rain." Michaela gratefully grinned at her future husband and searched his eyes with her own.

"Sully?"

"Hmm?"

"As I was walking up, you looked like you were thinking about something." He smiled a bit.

"I was."

"Do you mind if I ask what you were thinking about?"

"Nah," he replied, shaking his head. "I was thinkin' 'bout you." Michaela's eyes lit up. She had often wondered if he thought about her a lot when they were apart. Well, now she knew. It excited her, really, knowing that she was the object of somebody's thoughts.

"Me?"

"Yep." Michaela felt herself blushing. Sully's hand moved to brush along her shoulder and down her arm. She felt her skin begin to tingle beneath her clothes.

"Why?"

"'Cause I love you. That's why. I was just thinkin' about what it'd be like to wake up next to ya every mornin' and have ya in my arms."

"I've often wondered the same thing," she whispered, leaning against her soon-to-be husband. Sully's arm tightened around her a bit, and she felt secure in his arms as the lightning flashed.

"You cold?"

"I'm fine," she replied. She pulled her legs up close and covered them with the blanket. Michaela yawned a bit, and Sully lay back on a pile of furs. Michaela stared at him nervously before realizing it might feel nice to lie in his arms until the storm passed. She lay down next to him, and he pulled his arms around her. As she rested her head on his chest, she felt something inside of her begin to stir.

Sully's hand began to slowly caress her arm, and she closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his touch. He could feel that her chest was rising and falling a bit faster than usual.

"Michaela? Are ya feelin' okay?"

"Mhm," she managed to choke out, not knowing what else to say to explain how she felt at this exact moment. The thunder rumbled again, and Michaela closed her eyes tightly, trying not to think about the feelings that were stirring up inside of her, feelings she shouldn't be having until the wedding night. It was so close yet so far away.

She was trembling now from anticipation. Sully could feel her shaking, and he tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. Her eyes were shut, but she slowly opened them to see the curiosity in his gaze.

"Michaela, maybe I should leave." He started to pull away, but she put her hand on his chest.

"Don't leave. Not now," she whispered.

"I shouldn't stay."

"Of course you should. I don't want you going out into the rain. You'll get yourself sick." Getting sick was the least of Sully's worries as Michaela pulled herself closer to keep warm when the spring air chilled due to the storm.

The rain began to spatter down onto the earth faster and father, and soon, the wind was so fierce that the lean to was starting to shake. Michaela was feeling herself growing colder, and as she pulled Sully closer, her hand grazed over his abdomen. Sully sucked in a sharp breath, and Michaela looked up to see that he'd closed his eyes for a moment.

"Sully?" Sully swallowed hard. The lingering feeling of Michaela's hand against him was overpowering. "Are you alright?" He nodded weakly, and as the lightning struck again, Michaela's heart began to pound. Sully saw that the nearness of the lightning had her shaken up a little.

"You're safe with me," he promised, rubbing her arms to keep her warm. A commanding force pulled Sully's lips down to hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her lips matched his, and his tongue sought entrance into her eager mouth. Her hands roamed over his broad shoulders as his hands moved to cup her face. He pulled away, and just as he was leaning in to kiss her again, a strong gust of wind threw their blanket off and blew it out into the rain.

"Oh!" Michaela exclaimed. She rushed away to get it.

"Michaela!" he called after her, knowing he had a spare blanket handy. She went after it anyway, and he followed. As Michaela stood in the now pouring rain, Sully walked up behind her. She turned to him with the soaking blanket in her hands. The lightning flashed again, and they both looked up. Michaela grinned a little, surprised that though she was shivering in the cold rain, she still felt warm on the inside. She could still feel his gentle touch.

"So much for getting out of the rain," she laughed, trying not to let him know how she was truly feeling on the inside. Sully chuckled too, but as they stared into one another's eyes, that force pulled them together again. Michaela's hands dropped the blanket, and she tenderly ran her thumb over Sully's rain-kissed lips. He kissed the pad of her thumb and drew her into his arms. Michaela blinked the rain droplets out of her eyes for a moment before her lips met his again with a tender kiss.

The passion between them escalated, and as Sully's hands moved from her face to her neck to her shoulders, Michaela's moved to his waist to rest upon his hips. It didn't matter now. Those proper Boston rules of society and propriety didn't seem to matter out here in these beautiful mountains. A storm was raging, and she felt completely safe with the man she was to marry. It didn't even matter that they had less than a day to wait before they could be together. What really mattered was how they felt now and how much they were longing to be one with one another.

**  
Her hands moved to un-tuck his shirt from his pants. He broke her kiss and moved to put his hands on her wrists. Her fingers tenderly caressed the skin on his sides, causing him to shudder. Michaela smiled as Sully looked down into her eyes. **

"You don't want this," he whispered. "Not yet." Michaela ran her fingers through his wet, curly locks. Perhaps he was right. Yes, she wanted to wait until she was married, but it didn't really seem to matter anymore. They were out here in the middle of nowhere, and her heart was telling her this was right; her body told her it was right. Michaela didn't know how it could be a sin to give herself to the one man she'd given her heart to a long time ago; the one man who she knew would never break her heart or her trust.

**  
She didn't answer him, but she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, and as she wrapped her arms around his neck again, he pulled her closer, kissing her with a passionate intensity that only frightened him. When he pulled away, he was breathless, and Michaela's heart was pounding as her own breathing quickened. **

Michaela bit her bottom lip and blushed shyly. She wasn't having second thoughts, but she felt as if she was spoiling her wedding night. But once Sully pulled his soaking shirt off of his body, all thoughts were lost again and left to drown in the pouring rain. The water beaded down onto his bare chest, and the water droplets clung to his skin, rolled down his finely-toned arms, and clung to the hair on his chest. Michaela swallowed hard and nodded a little, letting Sully know that what she feeling was what she wanted and needed.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back over to the lean to. He lay her down on the slightly dampened furs, and he crawled in beside her. She stared at him as he bent down to place kisses on her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her chin, and her neck. She tilted her neck to give him better access.

"Sully," she whispered, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of his lips on her skin. Sully pulled away again, but this time, he removed his belt and set it aside. Michaela stared up at him with so much love in her eyes, and as he crawled over her, she let out a soft sigh. His hands moved to the buttons on the front of her dress, and she bit her lip nervously as he exposed more and more of her with each loosened button. He pushed the top off of her shoulders and helped her un-tuck her camisole from her skirt. Michaela moaned softly as Sully's hands grazed against the sides of her breasts through the material of her camisole.

"You're so beautiful," he assured her, leaning down to kiss her. As he began to lift the camisole, he revealed her smooth, white belly. Sully swallowed hard and closed his eyes, pausing.

"Sully?"

"We shouldn't be doin' this." Michaela rested her head back on the sheets, feeling Sully's arousal as he straddled her waist. She knew that this situation was about to go as far as it could. They were nearly to the point of no return.

The heat was beginning to rise, and Michaela couldn't help but notice that Sully's needs and longings were growing by the second.

She closed her eyes again, and bit her bottom lip as Sully's hands gently caressed her smooth skin. Sully was breathing heavily as he moved away from her. He sat with his back to her, and Michaela felt badly for making him feel like this. She'd let this go so far, and now he was feeling guilty. She didn't want him to feel so bad.

As the storm continued, Michaela shook from both worry and anticipation. She slowly put her hand on Sully's bare back. He jumped a little at the feeling of her hand on his skin. It felt wonderful, that was for sure.

"Sully," she whispered. "I'm sorry." He turned back to her.

"About what?"

"If I was forward . . ." She looked away, her face turning read from embarrassment. Sully took her hand in his and softly kissed her knuckles.

"I can't wait to be with you, Michaela, but I can wait for our wedding night for your sake."

"My sake?" she asked quietly.

"I know how much it means to you to wait until we're married." She smiled a little.

"It does mean a lot to me, yes, but loving you means more." She brought her hand to his face, and he took it into his own hand to press a kiss to the center of her palm.

"I don't want you to do anything you're gonna regret."

"How could I regret loving you?" Sully looked into her bright eyes, seeing her love for him shining brightly. He leaned over to kiss her, softly at first, but as each moment passed, the spark between them burst into flames. Michaela lay back onto the bed of furs, and Sully crawled over her, removing his pants and throwing them to the back of the lean to. Michaela blushed as she saw what she did to him for the first time with her own eyes.

"You're sure?" Sully asked as he leaned down to kiss her. Michaela didn't respond with words, but she nodded in response, knowing that she could trust Sully with her heart.

She sat up as Sully pulled Michaela's camisole over her head, exposing her soft breasts as he tossed it aside. She blushed, looking away as Sully took her in with his eyes for the first time. Sully tilted her chin so she could look into his eyes. He wanted her to see how much he loved her.

"I do love you. I'll love you all my days." Michaela smiled and shifted a bit as Sully began to slip the rest of her clothes off of her legs. She felt the urge to cover herself with a blanket as she lay naked before him. She was worried that she wouldn't be pleasing to him, but it was quite the opposite. Her body was more beautiful than he ever could have dreamed. He bent to kiss her neck, and he crawled between her legs. He could feel the rain starting to shower harder on the ground, and when the lean to started to sway in the wind again, his back was sprayed with a fresh coating of rainwater.

His lips traveled down her throat and to the skin between her breasts. He took her right breast into his mouth, lightly biting her nipple, causing her to arch her back in surprise and pleasure. She groaned softly as his hand moved up her thigh to stroke her, feeling her desire pooling between her legs.

"Sully," she whispered as he moved to treat her other breast to the same sweet torture. Her fingers moved to run through his hair and then over his broad shoulders. She moved to softly stroke his chest, lightly rubbing his nipples with her thumbs before she arched her back up so she could kiss his chest.

He pulled back a little as he prepared to enter her for the first time. He wanted to look into her eyes and see that she was sure about this.

As he stroked her cheek softly with his thumb, her eyes filled with more love than he'd ever seen before. Every bad thing that had happened in the past between them seemed to disappear, and all he saw was the future. She was his future.

"I love you, Sully. You once said your heart is mine. It goes both ways. My heart's yours." She closed her eyes, and a tear slipped out. When she opened them, Sully brushed the tears away and pressed another kiss to her lips.

As his tongue sought access into her mouth again, he entered her swiftly, filling her completely with himself. She gasped into Sully's mouth and dug her nails into his back. He pulled back from her lips for a moment to stare into her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her. But the look in her eyes told him that this was right. This was what was supposed to happen.

Their bodies moved in the dance as old as time, and as he moved inside of her, pleasure that neither had experienced before surfaced, making everything disappear for a little while. All that existed was this lean to, the clearing, and the two of them entangled within one another.

They muffled their cries of passion with kisses, and as the thunder rumbled, it gave them a sense that they were all alone in the world.

Lightning struck in the distance as the lovers found their release and collapsed under the lean to. The storm seemed to be passing, and it was as if nature had approved of their joining. It was as if the climax of the storm moved right along with them, and as they clung to one another, covered in raindrops and perspiration, the storm began to pass and the stars began to shine.

Neither one spoke for a long time, and the only sounds were those of the crickets coming out from the rain and of their breaths returning to normal.

As the night grew darker, Michaela sat up and slowly pulled her still-damp clothes on. The bit of dampness caused the fabric to cling to her skin. Her hair was a mess, but to Sully, she was the most gorgeous creature he'd ever laid eyes upon.

She pulled on her shoes, and looked out at the fog in the darkening woods. She stood as a light sprinkling of rain sparkled around her. Sully stood, finishing pulling his clothes on. He took her hand, and without words, he led her home.

As they walked, they couldn't think of the words to say to one another to express how they felt; how much they loved one another. Michaela felt as if the air had pulled her up and she was living in a fantasy world above the clouds where anything was possible.

The children were just arriving home when Sully and Michaela reached the homestead. They were entering the homestead just as Michaela and Sully rounded the corner to see them.

As she stepped up onto the porch, Michaela turned, still holding Sully's hand.

"No regrets?" Sully asked. She smiled and shook her head.

"No regrets." Sully kissed her hand. As he was turning to leave, she squeezed his hand. "Sully?"

"Hmm?" He stared into her beautiful eyes.

"Until tomorrow," she whispered. Sully smiled knowingly, and as he walked away, Michaela closed her eyes, remembering every exquisite moment of their evening together.

The sound of a rooster crowing caused her to open her eyes, and when she blinked a few times, she realized she was waking up alone in bed on her wedding morning. She gasped a little and sat up quickly. She realized it had all been a dream, and she couldn't believe it. It had seemed so real. She could have sworn she'd felt it all happen. But it had been a dream.

She glanced at the empty side of the bed. This would be the last time she'd wake up alone. This would be the last time she woke up in this homestead.

She was going to be married today, and if her first experience with Sully was anything like her dream, she knew she had nothing to worry about.

She smiled, smoothing the covers back after she pulled herself out of bed. She glanced down at her engagement ring, and her eyes sparkled with happiness.

She could hear the children giggling outside, and a knock came to the door.

"Who is it?"

"Sully," her groom-to-be responded.

"Sully!" she gasped, shivers running up and down her spine at the thoughts of her dream. "You're not supposed to see me!"

"I know. That's why I'm outside your door. I just wanted to make sure everything's alright." The sound in his voice was strange.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Are you?"

"Yeah," he replied quickly. "I guess I'll see ya at the weddin' then."

"Yes," Michaela replied cheerfully.

"Michaela?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too," she replied.

"Until later then."

"Until then," she replied softly. As Sully leaned against the door, those words hit him. He heard her whispering the words "Until tomorrow," and he smiled, remembering the dream that he had had. As he walked away, he was oblivious to the fact that he and his wife-to-be had had the same dream. Neither one of them would know the connection they made the night before through that dream, but that connection was sure to keep them strong and together for the rest of their lives.

Until next time . . .

THE END


End file.
